Natural Remedies That You Can Use to Get Rid of Weeds
For many homeowners, weeds are a constant source of irritation. Weeds can cause serious damage to your lawn by robbing your grass and plants of their nutrients. However, many of the chemicals that you may use to get rid of weeds are actually harmful as well. Luckily, there are some natural solutions to getting rid of weeds. Let's take a closer look.

Newspaper
Laying some newspaper down can kill weeds that have already sprouted while also stopping new ones from growing. Newspaper blocks sunlight and stops oxygen from reaching the soil. When you are adding the newspaper layers, be sure to add some mulch.

Baking Soda
Baking soda will help stop weeds from growing in the cracks of the sidewalk without adding toxins to the environment. You can also sprinkle some salt in the cracks along the sidewalk.

Soap
Soap contains oils that can break down weeds. Add some drops of liquid detergent to another solution to create an even more powerful impact on the weeds.

Alcohol
Alcohol is known for causing dehydration. The dehydration variable can help weeds disappear. Take some vodka and add a little bit of water and soap to it. Mix it up and then spray the solution on the weeds. Try to spray the solution on the weeds in the middle of the day when the sun is at its apex. That will lead to the best chance of long lasting weed prevention.

Vinegar
Vinegar produces an acetic acid that is a desiccant used to kill plant leaves. The acetic acid is a threat to plants with underdeveloped roots, though it doesn't work as well with weeds that have waxy leaves. Make sure that you are only spraying the weeds, as vinegar can also cause damage to plants and vegetables. To create a stronger effect, add some salt and citrus oil to the vinegar.

Hot Water
Pouring hot water on the weeds will cause them to burn. Pour the hot water on sidewalk weeds as well, because the water can penetrate hard to reach areas and cool off before it reaches the plants.

Cornmeal
Cornmeal makes it harder for weeds to grow. Cornmeal makes it harder for weed seeds to germinate. Try to spread the cornmeal around the plants where seedlings have already infiltrated the soil. Be sure to head back in a few months to spread more cornmeal that should stop any late weeds from germinating.

Reimagining Dandelions
When someone mentions dandelions, the normal connotation is not positive. However, in a society that is returning to natural foods and landscapes, dandelions are an underappreciated asset to any person's lawn. Dandelions are edible to humans and are a powerhouse plants to struggling bumblebees.

Just decades ago, dandelions were regularly consumed as an edible herb. The leaves of a dandelion are edible, and more people are beginning to incorporate them in to their diets whether it be on a salad or as dried leaves. Dandelion root and leaves when dried can be utilized in tea making, and the flowers can be a great base for dandelion wine. While some of this slowly started to become a lost art, dandelions as a dietary option is slowly regaining popularity.

Lore surrounding dandelions is now the subject of study in the sciences. Many have previously claimed that consuming dandelions leads to health benefits, but now studies continue to find evidence to support this claim. Universities such as the University of Maryland Medical Center are beginning to explore the health benefits of dandelions in mice. Dandelions previously have been suggested to assist in skin problems such as acne, and a myriad of other conditions including blood pressure and asthma.

In the spring, as insects are beginning to make their appearance, dandelions are among the first flowers to bloom, serving as a vital food source for bees and butterflies. Any butterfly garden is incomplete without a few dandelions in the mix. Bees rely on the availability of dandelions for their survival in those early weeks when they are leaving the hive as the weather warms.

The battle against dandelions in the yard is not one of a noxious herb that causes harm, but is instead a social construct regarding what is acceptable in a yard. This social norm of removing dandelions at any cost, including the use of pesticides, is not founded in an actual issue with the plant but is one of aesthetics. Dandelions are incredibly versatile. One of their most surprising uses is in creating a sustainable rubber. One can only imagine that as more research is done there will be an increase in the usefulness of dandelions.

This spring, dandelions will pop their sunny yellow heads up out of the newly budding grass. Allowing dandelions to grow and remain untouched in a natural lawn allows for a healthier landscape, effecting not just the lawn and dirt they live in but the insect life that depends on their nectar for sustenance. The amount of money and time spent to combat dandelions with chemicals does not provide a benefit, and in doing so exposes not only wildlife but the user to damaging agents. As dandelions are found to yield more and more benefits, soon people will see them living a little longer in their neighbors' yards.